Electric-switch device.



0.1. K1E|N. ELETRIC SWITCH DEVICE.'

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25.1911. RENEWED APR. 3171916.

Patented Ioct. 31,1916.

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c. LKLEIN.

i YELEcTmc SWITCH DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 25, |911- RENEWED APR. 3,1916.

Patented Oct.. 31, 1916y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- if /Zd l!! lili:

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UNITED STATES Parana? eration.

CHARLES J. KLEIN, OF MILWAIJ'KEE, WISCONSIN, .ISSIGNOR TOTI-IE CUTLER-HAMMER MFG. CO., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

,ELECTRIC-SWITCH DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct.' 31, 1916.

Application f iedseptmber 25, i911, seriai No.e51,225. nenewed April a, 191s. serial No. 88,724;

T all fzuhom it ymay concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. KLEIN, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of IVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in lElectric-Switch Devices,

of which the following is a' full, clear, con-- A further object of my invention is to*v provide an improvedelectric switch device provided with improved means for dividing up the spark at the contacts when the circuit isinterrupted. l

Other objects and advantages of my im- I proved construction will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one form vvhicl` my invention may assume in practice. My invention is not however limited to this specific form, chosen for purposes of illustration, but may Y assume other forms.

In these drawings :'-Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the switch in open circuit position. Fig. 2 shows a similar view"of the same in closed circuit position. Fig. 8 shows a side elevation of the 4same in closed circuit position looking in an opposite direction from Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of the mechanism on line 4--4-ofv Fig. Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of one of the operating members online 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of one of the movable contact members.

In the construction shown in these drawings, I have for purposes of illustration shown a flush switch mechanism of the type described in my copending application Serial No 623,904, filed April Q8, 1911. As illustrated and described in this application this mechanism includes a pair of spring pressed cam members 1 and 2 which are.

pivoted on suitable shafts or spindles 3,

mounted on an insulating base 4 and are arranged to reciprocate on these shafts with the push buttons 5 and 6 when the latter are operated. The cam members l and 2 are 'provided with oppositely inclined active surfaces as described in that application andare arranged to oscillate about the spindles 3 upon sleeves 7 under Athe action of spiral springs 8 when either of the push buttons 5 and 6 is actuated. In a preferred form the push buttons 5 and G arev arranged to reciprocate through suitable openings in a frame 9 mounted upon the insulating base fand extending over the switch mechanism..l In order that one of the push buttons 'may' be raised as the other is depressed a pivoted strip l0 is vprovided arranged to rock about a central pin l1 carried on the insulating base 4. The ends of this strip 10 are slotted as at 12to pass around the` shafts 3 as shown in Fig. 5.` In a preferred form suitable nuts 13 are carried upon the ends ofthe inner sleeves? which serve lto positionthe cam members upon these sleeves and also act as bearing surfaces for the slottedends of thel rocking member 10, when the but-f.,

tons are depressed. In this construction however insteadof providing a singlemovable contact member arranged to reciprocate upon spindles carried upon the base when actuated by the cam members, a plurality of oppositely moving oscillatingmovable Contact members are provided. Suitable means are provided upon these oscillatingcontact members so that they may engage tlie active surfaces of the cams 1 and 2 and thus be actuated to move in opposite directions to make or break the circuit.

In a preferred'forna the oscillating contact members 1'4 and 15 are pivoted upona common pivot pin 16 carried upon a suitable support 17 depending from the top of -the frame 9. As illustrated in Fig. G these contact members are preferably substantially rectangular in cross section and are formed of a suitable insulating material. If desired they` may be made of such a shape that a portion of the samemay engage the active surfaces of the actuating cams. In a preferred form each of these contact members is however, providedl with a plurality ico of studs or projections 18 upon one of the flat sides of the same, adjacent the perforation through which the pivot 'pin eX-. tendsand at points substantially equidistant from the same. Suitable bearing surfaces adapted to engage the active surfaces of the cams are provided upon the movable contact members. In a preferred form I use suitable steel` balls 19 as these suitable chambers in the ends of the studs l18.v If desired however, other forms of bearing surfaces may be used to accomplish the same results. Eachbf the contact`members 11 and 15 is preferably provided with a plurality of contact surfaces 2O and '21, one of which is considerably larger than the other and both of which are substantially arc shaped as shown in Fig. 6. In a preferred form the two contact surfaces are provided by the use of a single stamped contact plate which is formed .in the shape shown in Fig. 6 so that the two contact surfaces of the same lie in substantially parallel planes on opposite sides ofthe contact member and the connecting neck of these twov contact surfaces is seated in a suitable slot 22 in the edge'of the movable contact member. In a preferred form the'conducting plate forming the contact members 20 and 21 is attached to the body of the-movable contact member by means of a suitable pin or screw 23 and the ends of the contact surfaces are slightly out-turned or sprung so.

that the extremities of the same are slightly spaced apart from the insulating block to give a greater resiliency to the contacts. If desired the ends of the contactplates may be rounded or inturned as at 24.

IVhen the parts arev assembled as shown in Figs. 1 andv 3 inclusive, the movable contact members are pivoted on opposite sides of the support 17 so that the smaller contact' surfaces 21 face each other, while the larger contact surf-aces 2O on the opposite sides of the same are on the outer surfaces of the movable contact members. Thus it is seen that when the cam members '1 and 2 arev actuated to oscillate these contact members,

the two contact surfaces 21 move over each other with a wiping action. The contact surfaces 20-20 are arranged to make contact with stationary contacts- 25 and 26 which are" located on opposite sides of the contact members 14C and 15 and are provided with inturned-parallel contact surfaces, so that the contact obtained is a wiping cony tact tending to reduce the spark and to keep the contacts clean. The stationary contacts 25 and 26, are in a preferred form made as extensions on suitable terminal strips 27 and 28, which are mountedon opposite sides of 'the' insulating base 4 and are provided at their upper ends with binding screws 29 and 30, to which the line conductormay be at tached. The contact surfaces 21 are ar-A ranged to move over each other with a wiping con-tact insubstantially the same manner as the outer contacts 20 move over thel surfaces of the contacts 25 and 26. Thus it is seen that the circuit may be considered to extendfromthe line through the binding screw 29, the station-ary contact 25, one of the contact surfaces 20, its connected inner button, this circuit is broken substantially y simultaneously, at -a plurality of points, the circuit being broken at the contacts 25 and 26 and at the contact surfaces 21 at they same time so that the series circuit is divided in such a manner as to divide up the arc. Due to the provision of the resilient contacts having out-turned edges, the wiping action of the contacts and division of the arc by breakingthe `circuit at a plu. rality of points. the arc at any of the contacts is reduced to such :rdcgreethat no injury results to any of the contacts. Vith the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 the operation of 'this form of switch is as follows: When the left hand push button 5 is depressed, the cam member 1 is lowered, rocking the' rocking member l0 Aabout its )ivot 11, to force up the cam member 2. lVhen the bearing surface 19 of the contactv member 11 passes over the crest of the cam member 1, the movable contact member 14 moves'upward about its pivot with a quick snap action to the position shown in Fig. 2, wherein the end of the outer contact plate 20 engages the terminal 25 and the bearing surface of the contact member rests at the bottom of the slope of the cam member 1.

Since the movable contact member 15 is bers 14 and 15 oscillate in opposite directions about the pivot 16, their inner contact plates 21 lengage with a wiping action substantially simultaneously with the engagement of their outer contact surfaces 2O with the rterminals and 26. Conversely when the'circuit is broken by th'e depression of the button 6, each of the contact members moves in the opposite direction and the circuitv is broken substantially simultaneously` at the terminals 25 and 26 and between the contact surfaces 21. .Thus it is seen that the circuit is made and brokcnat a'plurality of points, substantially simultaneously so that the arc generated upon a rupture of the circuit is divided rrp between these several points, in such a m-anner as to cut it down beyond any dangerous degree.

, What I claim as new andfdesire to secure movements to both of saidv members to move their contacts into and outof engagement.

2. In an electric switch, in combination, stationary contacts, two relatively movable contact" members movable substantially simultaneously into and out of engagement with one another and said stationary contacts, and means' for imparting snap movements to said contact members substantially simultaneously.

3. In an electric switch, in'combination, two contact actuating members oscillating inl 'dilferent parallel planes, and means associ@ ated therewith to simultaneously oscillate said members with a snap action in opposite directions for making and breakingan elec#V tric circuit.

f4. In an electric switch, in combination, stationary contacts, two oscillating contacts, and means for oscillating said latter cntacts in opposite directions to substantially simultaneously engage and disengage one 'another' and said stationary contacts."

.5. In a flush switch, in combination, two oscillating members having superposed portions and contacts on said portions, and

Y means provided with oppositely reciprocating push buttonsl for substantially simultaneously imparting snap movements to said oscillating members in opposite directions for-establishing and interrupting electrical connection between said contacts.

6. In a flush switch, in combinati'om'two push button operated devices arranged in a parallel relation and interlockedI to move simultaneouslyl in opposite directions, two superposed oscillating members arranged between said devices and operative connec- -tions between said oscillating membersand tions upon reciprocation of said latter mem- 8. In a flush switch, in combination, two parallel reciprocating members each provided with a push button, an interlock betweenv said members insuring movement thereof simultaneously in 'pposite directions, two voscillating membeivs arranged between said reciprocating embers,- and means operatively connecting said .oscil-'65 lating'members to said reciprocating niembers to cause the former to be oscill ted simultaneously in opposite directions' ufbd reciprocation ofl said latter members, sai

means including a convex cam and a concave cam on each of said reciprocating members engaging bearing surfaces on opposite sides of the center of one of said oscillating members.4

an oscillating contact actuating member. provided on opposite sides of its pivot with bearing surfaces, and a reciprocating member having pivoted thereon two cams one concave and the other convex, and a spring '80 pressing said cams against said bearing surfaces of'said oscillating member.

l0. In combination, an insulating base, a frame mounted thereon, a plurality of standards mounted on said base, a plurality .of -push buttons arranged to reciprocate) through saidframe and upon the" ends of said standards, a plurality of spring-pressed pivoted cam members arranged to reciprocate with said `push buttons and oscillate about their pivots and -a plurality of -oppositely movable oscillating contact members pivoted to a dependingportion of said frame between said cammembers, said movable contact members having a portion of the same extending into the path of lsaid cam .members l 1l. In an electric switch, in combination, two relatively movable members having cooperating contacts on adjacent sides thereof and extensions of said contacts on thecutside thereof, and stationary contacts to be engaged by said extensions.

12. In an electricswitch, in combination,

two relatively movable members havirygco- I operating contacts on adjacent sides thereof and extensions of said contacts on the outside thereof, and stationary contacts to be engaged by said extensions, said members being movable simultaneously to actuate 1.10

said lirst mentioned contacts to simultaneously engage and disengage one another and also said stationary contacts.

In witness whereof. I have hereunto subscribed my name 'in the presence of two wit- 115 nesses.

CHARLES J. KLEIN. Witnesses:

GEO. HAYNEs, H. L. ROQKWELL.

9. In an electric switch, 'in combination, 75 

